Rubio: Democrats Have 'Stale Ideas' on Economy

Democrats' proposals for boosting the economy, like increasing the minimum wage, represent "stale ideas," said Sen. Marco Rubio, who suggested the focus should instead be on creating jobs that pay up to $50 an hour.

"The ideas that [Democrats] are offering are stale ideas," the Florida Republican told "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday.

"About the minimum wage, $10.10 an hour is not good enough. That's not the American dream. We need jobs that pay $30, $40, $50 an hour."

Rubio outlined a series of policy initiatives for boosting the economy that includes increasing innovation, changing the tax code for businesses, and expanding access to U.S. markets. He said current policies created an economy that was underperforming when it came to creating good-paying jobs.

"Forty-three percent of the new jobs being created in America pay $16 an hour or less. You cannot rebuild the American dream, you cannot reinvigorate a vibrant middle class, on $10.10 an hour — or $16 an hour, for that matter," he said.

Rubio urged President Barack Obama to approve the Keystone Pipeline to open up energy markets abroad, and further maintained the U.S. needed "multiple pipelines around this country to get the production of oil and natural gas from the drilling site to the export or distribution site."

"We now have millions of people around the world that are driving cars and living in modern homes that want to, and can afford to buy, American energy," he said.

Changing the tax code for businesses, Rubio argued, would enable them to "hire new people, to grow the business, to give worker raises."

"You create a tax code that says the more you invest, the less you pay Uncle Sam. And that's what we hope to do with the tax changes we're proposing," he said.

Democrats' proposals for boosting the economy, like increasing the minimum wage, represent "stale ideas," said Sen. Marco Rubio, who suggested the focus should instead be on creating jobs that pay up to $50 an hour.